December 9, 2018 – A total of six Hyundai i20 R5 crew contested the Hyundai i20 R5 Trophy at the Monza Rally Show, while a seventh customer team won the R5 class overall.

The Trophy competition, which drew to a close a successful season for Hyundai Motorsport’s rally customers around Europe, took place within the three-day event at the Italian circuit, with customer crews fighting for a share of a prize fund. The opportunity attracted considerable interest from customer teams, with Bernini Rally and HMI each running two cars, while Friulmotor and Promo Racing fielded a single entry in the Trophy.

The i20 R5 runners were amongst the fastest of the R5 competitors throughout the weekend on stages that tested both the top speed of the car on the Autodromo’s long straights and the agility of chassis through tight, temporary chicanes and hairpins that demanded precision driving if penalties were to be avoided.

The Trophy, together with the €10.000 prize, was won by Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi, crewing one of the Bernini i20 R5. While they celebrated, there was also victory in the R5 class overall for Luca Rossetti and Andrea Minchella, who were running outside of the Trophy competition. Rossetti, in one of the Friulmotor run cars, secured a top ten finish overall, as well as setting the best R5 time on two stages during the weekend.

Kevin Gilardoni finished second of the Trophy runners, though only due to 45 seconds of penalties accrued over the course of the event. Simone Tempestini completed the Trophy podium making his i20 R5 debut after being attracted by the Trophy prize to make his first Monza Rally Show appearance. The competing drivers were completed by Giampaolo Tenchini, Giorgio Venica and Eugenio Amos.

For Rossetti the victory was a second accolade at the wheel of an i20 R5, having ended the Italian national championship with a stunning overall victory at the Rally Due Valli. The finish also re-affirmed Mabellini’s form following his fourth overall, and R5 class win, last month at the Special Rally Circuit – a shorter rally played out around the Monza track. The event completed a season for Gilardoni which included a top ten finish in the Italian championship on his debut in an i20 R5 in July.

The Hyundai i20 R5 Trophy at Monza followed an event earlier this week (December 5), where successful Hyundai Motorsport customers from the worlds of rallying and circuit racing were presented with their own Trophy prizes following their results from championships around the world.

Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Deputy General Manager Andrea Adamo said: “The Hyundai i20 R5 has had a very successful season, with rally victories around Europe. The Hyundai i20 R5 Trophy this weekend was an opportunity to bring some of our customers together, with a chance to compete directly against one another, as well as the rest of the field at the Monza Rally Show. It was a great a weekend, and to have an i20 R5 win the R5 class overall is the best possible way to complete the competitive season for most of our customers. It was honour to be able to present the prizes to drivers and teams who have displayed the pace of the i20 R5 throughout the year, and hopefully it is a preview of further success in 2019.”